As we gather for the holidays with family and friends, we close out the year with celebratory meals. Sharing sustenance with the ones we love should be a joyful and bonding time. That's why the meatless diner should share a delicious dish, whether as host or guest. Who knows, your fellow diners may even ask for the recipe.

If you are serving a plant-based meal and wondering what would go well with a tofu "turkey," Potato and Wild Rice Croquettes With Mushroom Gravy is a splendid option.

Nobody can resist these pecan-crusted little potato-wild rice croquettes, with a creamy mushroom gravy alongside. The recipes can easily be made in stages and can be assembled and reheated at serving, making them ideal for packing along to a party. The gravy can be mixed and matched on your feast day, and goes as well with biscuits or mashed potatoes as it does on these croquettes.

The first step is to make the gravy, and you can cook the wild rice and potatoes at the same time. When you shop for the gravy, you can opt for a richer flavor by buying an unsweetened "creamer" made from almonds or coconut. I have to stress that it needs to be the unsweetened version. Even "original" nondairy products are sweet.

It's fine if you do this on one day, then mix and shape the croquettes the next day. They should be chilled after shaping, too, so they will hold together properly.

This recipe gives you options for those on vegan or ovo-lacto diets. The croquettes get a cheesy boost from either nutritional yeast or Parmesan. Whether you eat plant-based or meat, it's worth knowing about nutritional yeast. It's an inactive kind of yeast that is fortified with vitamin B12, to give vegans the one vitamin that they can't get from plants. It's also high in protein and tastes great sprinkled over popcorn, salads or avocado toast.

For the crispy coating, you'll be dipping the croquette either in a water and starch slurry or a beaten egg, then dipping the croquettes in finely chopped pecans. I like baking them in a hot oven, but if you want to shallow fry them on the stovetop, you can do that, too.

Robin Asbell is a cooking instructor and author of "Big Vegan" and "Plant-Based Meats." Find her at robinasbell.com.